15 Apr 2009

Air Austral launches New Caledonia flights

1:53 pm on 15 April 2009

Air Austral, which is based in the French Indian Ocean territory of La Reunion, has launched an service between France and New Caledonia.

The first Air Austral Boeing 777 has arrived in Noumea, flying via La Reunion and Sydney.

The carrier will fly twice a week, trying to fill the occasional lack of seats between New Caledonia and France.

The airline has yet to win the rights to offer seats for those wishing to travel only between Noumea and Sydney.

The launch of the new service was controversial as some organisations in New Caledonia feared that many unemployed people from La Reunion would now make it to Noumea.